Report: Harbaugh Wanted Rice Cut In February

On Friday night, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media in New York, stating, ““I got it wrong in the handling of the Ray Rice matter, and I'm sorry for that. But now I will get it right and do whatever is necessary to accomplish that.”

Goodell went on to explain the league’s plans to fund a new initiative with the National Domestic Violence Hotline as a new ESPN report surfaced on the Raven’s handling of the Ray Rice arrest.

The ESPN report, citing several anonymous sources, said that Ravens coach John Harbaugh wanted Rice cut shortly after the incident. He asked again in March for the release of Rice and some other Ravens' players who were arrested in the offseason, according to the report. However, ESPN said, he was rebuffed by owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome, who have stood by several troubled players in the past. Harbaugh could not be reached for comment Friday, but the Ravens told ESPN that Harbaugh did not ask for Rice to be released until he saw the second video on Sept. 8.

The Ravens released a statement in response, saying the ESPN report “contains numerous errors, inaccuracies, false assumptions and, perhaps, misunderstandings. The Ravens will address all of these next week in Baltimore after our trip to Cleveland for Sunday’s game against the Browns.”